Shot Clock Approved by NCAA

LEXINGTON, Ky. —  The NCAA Basketball Rules Committee adopted the 45-second shot clock Tuesday, making illegal some of the delay offenses that Villanova used in its drive to the national championship.

Starting next season, a college men’s team will have to shoot or forfeit the ball within 45 seconds of taking possession, said Edward F. Steitz, secretary-editor of the committee. The clock will be in effect the whole game.

The panel also stiffened penalties for intentional fouls, banned undershirts with printing on them, and ruled that the score is final once the officials leave the floor.

Rules changes must be approved by at least 8 of the 12 committee members. According to Steitz, the vote on the shot clock was not close. Last year, the clock was rejected by a narrow margin.

“It eliminates the farce, the travesty game,” Steitz said of the shot clock. “It does tend to prevent the upset, too, but then again, overall, your good teams are not going to be upset by your real poor teams much unless they play a bad game.”

Steitz, noting that Villanova shot 78% against Georgetown in a 66-64 upset of Georgetown here Monday night and spread the offense only a few times, said he thought the Wildcats would still be champions with the clock, even though they are known as a delay team.